The players stand or are seated, preferably in a circle. One player stands or sits in the center with a soft ball, made by crushing paper or knotting up a handkerchief. This is thrown at one of the players by the one in the center, who says quickly, "Beast, bird, or fish!" then repeats one of these classes and immediately counts ten, whereupon the player who has been hit by the ball must name some beast or bird or fish, according to the class last named by the thrower. This must be done before the latter has finished counting ten. For instance, the thrower will say as he throws, "Beast, bird, or fish!—Bird!" whereupon the player hit by the handkerchief must name a bird while the thrower counts ten. This must not be a repetition of any bird previously named in the game. Should the player who is hit by the ball fail to meet the requirements, he changes places with the thrower. Should he succeed, the thrower repeats the game by hitting some other player.
IN THE SCHOOLROOM this game may be played with all the players but one in their accustomed seats.
An old English form of this game substitutes the words "Fire, air, and water," for "Beast, bird, and fish," the players being required to name some animal that lives in the air or water when those elements are named, but to keep silence when fire is named. In this form the game is supposed to be a survival of fire worship.
BUZZ
5 to 30 or more players.
Playground; gymnasium; schoolroom; parlor.
This is a quiet game, as distinguished from those requiring much muscular activity. One of the players starts the game by saying "One"; the next says "Two," the next "Three," etc., until the number "Seven" is reached, when the word "Buzz" is substituted for it. The next player says "Eight," and so on up to a multiple of seven, such as fourteen, twenty-one, twenty-eight, etc., on each of which the word "Buzz" should be used instead of the right number. The word "Buzz" is also substituted for any number in which the word seven occurs, even though it should not be a multiple of seven, such as seventeen, twenty-seven, thirty-seven, etc. When seventy is reached, the counting proceeds as "Buzz-one," "Buzz-two," etc., and seventy-seven is "Buzz-buzz."
Whenever a player says a number instead of "Buzz," or says "Buzz" in the wrong place, or calls out a wrong number, he must pay a forfeit and start the game over again by saying "One."
The game may also be played by having each player who misses drop from the game. Where this is done, and the player retains his seat but is silent, the game becomes even more confusing for the players who remain.